


Bean... and Stonks

by orphan_account



Series: Fuck it I’ll do it my fucking self [2]
Category: Unus Annus - Fandom, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, First Kiss, Foxes, Getting Together, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Soulmate AU, Soulmates, gay idiots, its great trust me, mark panics n names his soul animal a stupid name, soul animals, they dont have their gfs here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:34:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25111696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Ethan’s fox looked nothing like the Soul Animals of those who had found their soulmates, or those who’d completely accepted they wouldn’t find theirs. The bond tying him to his Soul Animal was only transmitting his pain, the loss he felt for someone he hadn’t even met.His poor fox, whom years ago a much younger Ethan had enthusiastically named Bean, walked with a drooping tail, head lowered, eyes downcast. Sometimes, Ethan felt bad for the pain he caused Bean, for the suffering she endured because he couldn’t stop moping around, couldn’t stop feeling like he’d lost a part of himself when he’d never even found that part to begin with.Mostly, though, Ethan didn’t pay her much mind. He’d grown used to Bean’s moping, to the way she trailed after him, and almost forgot she was there at times.-OR-It's when Ethan has given up on finding his soulmate that he finally finds his soulmate.
Relationships: Mark Fischbach/Ethan Nestor
Series: Fuck it I’ll do it my fucking self [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1648000
Comments: 16
Kudos: 235





	Bean... and Stonks

**Author's Note:**

> This is a soulmate au I made myself!!! Also thanks to my friend for the idea of names imprinting on the Soul Animals lmao

Ethan had given up on soulmates long ago. He’d been hopeful, once, like so many others, but as time went on, and his friends found their Soul Animals’ exact copy, and consequently their soulmates, Ethan’s hope dwindled. 

Once he’d turned 20, the last traces of hope had left him. His fox, with swirling markings of red and blue and gold that he’d once spent hours at a time studying, trying to memorise, trailed around after him like a kicked puppy all the time. 

Everywhere Ethan went, he was reminded of how he’d failed to find his soulmate. He’d enter a cafe and see two people with identical dragons curled around their shoulders as they smiled, or he’d spot a lone old woman smiling at her cat, which was covered in small pink hearts.

Ethan’s fox looked nothing like the Soul Animals of those who had found their soulmates, or those who’d completely accepted they wouldn’t find theirs. The bond tying him to his Soul Animal was only transmitting his pain, the loss he felt for someone he hadn’t even met. 

His poor fox, whom years ago a much younger Ethan had enthusiastically named Bean, walked with a drooping tail, head lowered, eyes downcast. Sometimes, Ethan felt bad for the pain he caused Bean, for the suffering she endured because he couldn’t stop moping around, couldn’t stop feeling like he’d lost a part of himself when he’d never even found that part to begin with.

Mostly, though, Ethan didn’t pay her much mind. He’d grown used to Bean’s moping, to the way she trailed after him, and almost forgot she was there at times. 

Ethan could feel the stares of the public whenever he left his house, though. People murmuring, pointing and questioning. After all, someone whose Soul Animal looked sad like it was in a state of extreme depression wasn’t a usual thing.

Ethan had grown pretty used to it, though. He’d gotten used to ignoring the looks he got, and he’d gotten used to brushing off any comments about it. He’d even become skilled at deflecting concerns from his friends.

Mark was the only person who never seemed to question Bean’s emotional state, but then again, Mark was the only person Ethan had ever met who didn’t let his Soul Animal follow him around. No one Ethan knew had ever seen so much as a glimpse of Mark’s Soul Animal, but they all knew he had one.

Mark would mention it briefly, sometimes, but they all had little to no indication as to what it was. They knew it had fur and was four-legged, but beyond that, they all had no clue. 

Ethan felt, sometimes, that Mark understood him more than most. Mark didn’t seem to hold any hope of finding his soulmate,  _ couldn’t  _ hold any hope if he didn’t let his Soul Animal trail around after him like every other person in the world.

It was a cold winter’s night when Mark invited Ethan back to his house to stay the night when Ethan realised he’d never even been to Mark’s house. No one he knew had, in fact, and Ethan was more than certain it was tied to Mark’s desire to not let his Soul Animal be seen by another living soul.

It was as they were walking back that Ethan thought to ask about Mark’s Soul Animal. He didn’t want to be taken completely by surprise by it, so he just asked the simplest question he could.

“What’s your Soul Animal’s name?”

Mark blanched, freezing up for a second, before he blurted out, in a panicked tone, “Stonks!”

“ _ Stonks _ ?” Ethan stopped in his tracks, giving Mark a look of pure disbelief. The older man looked sheepish, gave downcast.

“Ok, well, I hadn’t named him before now-”

Ethan burst out laughing at this. “Oh my  _ god.  _ You panicked and now he’s named Stonks for all eternity!”

Mark just looked more embarrassed than ever. Everyone knew that whatever you named your Soul Animal imprinted on them; they didn’t have to be with you, but the moment you consciously chose a name for them, they would know. There was no going back.

When Ethan finally regained composure a good ten minutes later, Mark led him down a side street and to the front of a house that was far less fancy than Ethan imagined. Mark was a famous YouTuber, and somehow, in Ethan’s mind, he’d decided Mark must live in some kind of mansion.

Instead, Mark was here unlocking what looked like just a normal house. Ethan took a moment to reconcile this in his mind, to connect the two, before following Mark into the house.

“I’ll set up the sofa bed for you in a second. I gotta let…” Mark trailed off, glanced at Ethan, then at Bean, and sighed resignedly. “... Stonks out. I usually let him out at this hour.”

Ethan had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing, and as a result, could only manage a nod in response. Mark raised an eyebrow at him before turning to walk down a hallway.

Ethan turned to the living room then, placing his small backpack down by the sofa and pulling out his water bottle, taking a sip before letting his eyes wander around the room. It was neat, tidy, and was like… Well, any other room Ethan had ever seen before.

The sound of claws scrabbling across the floor, followed by heavy footsteps, made Ethan turn. The sight he was greeted with would have been almost comical, Mark chasing frantically after a skittish, excitable fox, had it not been for the fox’s patterning and colours.

“Shit, Stonks, get back here!”

Ethan should have laughed, then, but his mouth felt dry, and he couldn’t have made a sound if he’d tried. Bean nosed at his leg, and Ethan glanced down, jarred to see she looked nowhere near as sad as she had moments earlier. 

“So, you weren’t gonna tell me about this?” Ethan’s voice was surprisingly steady given the situation, and it was enough to make Mark pause, Stonks scampering away from him to sniff intently at Ethan’s bag. 

Mark didn’t say anything, just stood, frozen, gaze locked on Stonks and Bean, who were circling each other slowly, curiously. The two looked as though they’d never encountered another Soul Animal in their life.

“You knew.” Ethan took in a deep breath. “You can’t have not known, Bean is with me all the time. Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t want to fuck up.” Mark’s voice was quiet. “We… We’re such good friends, and you’d given up on the idea of soulmates, and I just… I didn’t want to lose you.”

Ethan bent down, picking Bean up, cradling her in his arms. Below, Stonks whimpered; Ethan ignored the other Soul Animal.

“You didn’t think about how I could find out? About how much it  _ hurts  _ to know you’ve been hiding from me this entire time?”

Mark looked like he was about to cry. “I’ve never let anyone see him before. I was too scared that someone I… Someone I  _ liked  _ wouldn’t be my soulmate. That I’d lose them before I even had the chance to have them. Like you.”

Ethan just stared for a moment, then, slowly and gently, place Bean onto the ground again. He took a half step closer to Mark, not failing to notice the glimmer of hope that entered the older man’s eye.

“One chance.” Ethan held up his right index finger to emphasise his point. “You already fucked up once. You’ve got one more chance, to make this right.”

Mark smiled then, a huge, stupid grin, and next thing Ethan knew, Mark’s arms were around him in a tight hug. After a second, Ethan returned the hug with a small chuckle.

“Alright, calm down,” he said, just as Mark pulled back.

“I’m going to take you on the  _ best  _ dates, and I’m going to get you presents, and-”

“Like I trust the word of a man who panicked and called his Soul Animal  _ Stonks. _ ”

Ethan couldn’t say he didn’t see the harsh slap to his arm coming. The kiss that followed it, a swift, gentle press of Mark’s lips to his own? Unexpected, sure, but not unwelcome.

Ethan didn’t give Mark time to pull back, drawing him back in again, pressing their lips together once again. At their feet, Bean and Stonks began to play fight, both foxes looking far happier than they had in years.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank u to my friend who suggested the name Stonks


End file.
